sábado, febrero 14, 2015

Electric bikes are great for making short journeys a touch more effortless and one upcoming electric bike may never even need to be plugged in to charge. The Leaos Solar e-bike has solar panels built into its frame, which the manufacturer says can make it energy independent at certain usage levels.

The Solar e-bike bike uses an auto pedal-assist system, but will also have an electric drive setting. According to Leaos, the bike can be self-sufficient for what the company calls "medium usage" of up to 20 km (12 miles) per day in pedal-assist mode or about 16 km (10 miles) in pure electric drive mode. At that level of use, Leaos founder Armin Oberhollenzer tells Gizmag that the battery will never entirely run down because its solar panels will charge the battery continuously, so long as there is light available.

The Leaos Solar e-bike was designed alongside two non-solar sibling models, the Leaos Pure and the Leaos White. Oberhollenzer says their unusual shared form was aimed at being both stylish and able to contain the various technical components of an e-bike.

It features a carbon fiber monocoque body, carbon fiber handlebars and a carbon fiber mudguard. The solar paneling is integrated into the body itself and, according to Oberhollenzer, comprises "ultrathin panels that will go close to 20 percent [conversion efficiency] and that are not on the market yet."

According to Oberhollenzer, although the PV panels do work better in bright sunlight than ambient light, the difference is not that dramatic. He says that a variety of other factors, including the angle at which sunlight hits the panels, can reduce the effectiveness by 70 percent.

With this in mind, prototypes of the bike have been tested extensively in both Italy and in the cloudier climate of Germany. Oberhollenzer is confident that the "20 km per day" self- sufficiency figure is accurate and says it reflects real, varied usage.

The total area of solar panel coverage is still to be finalized. Oberhollenzer notes that as much of the bike as possible could have been covered in panels, but that aesthetics had to be taken into account. It is for this reason that the panels are side-mounted. Integrating the solar panels, says Oberhollenzer, has been the most challenging aspect of the design.

The battery of the Leaos Solar e-bike is said to give a range of 90 km (56 miles) when ful...
Also unknown at present is exactly how long a full charge on PV alone will take, though Oberhollenzer reckons that it will require in excess of 24 hours of sunlight. The 36 V battery can be juiced up to capacity in around two hours when connected to a mains supply though, which should then give the e-bike a range of 90 km (56 miles) in pedal-assist mode or 72 km (45 miles) in electric drive mode.

"Obviously a solar panel will never charge as a speed charger," says Oberhollenzer. "But that is not the objective. The objective is to be independent from traditional power supplies for 'normal' usage."

An Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign for the Leaos Solar e-bike was run last year, but backers barely made a dent in the targeted US$190,000 and the campaign closed unfunded. Oberhollenzer tells Gizmag that the project has since been financed privately, however, and that the e-bikes will be available globally from July/August 2015. They can be pre-ordered now with prices starting from from €7,900 ($8,960) depending on configuration.

Prynt: the first instant camera case for iPhone and Android
Plug in your phone, snap a picture, and get a printed photo in seconds. Then watch your photos come to life through augmented reality!
It's like Instagram, but in real life! This case turns your smartphone into a Polaroid-style camera that prints photos. Bonus: Those photos turn into augmented reality videos when viewed on the phone's screen”
Ever wanted to share a photo with a friend and not have to put it on the internet? Now you can, with Prynt: the first ever instant camera case for smartphones. Just plug in your iPhone or Android device, snap a photo or choose one from your favorite social network, and print it out in thirty seconds!

It's ideal for when you're out with your friends, sightseeing, or capturing a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Gifts and cards become more special when you include an instant photo. Take it with you on the go and never miss the chance to shoot and share some everyday magic.

We also designed Prynt to be modular so it can fit different types of phones. The part of the case that contains the dock can be easily changed based on the phone model. That means if you upgrade or change phones, you don't need a whole new Prynt Case, just order a new dock adapter from us and keep printing.

Lastly, we worked hard to design a beautiful object you'll love to carry. We think our pink, blue and white models are gorgeous and the matching (animal-friendly) leather grips are quite chic.

Plus, you'll never have to deal with ink or cartridges because we use a special paper with the ink embedded inside. Just load the paper and print away!

The case holds 10 sheets of paper, and refills will be available through our app. We'll include one pack of photos (10 sheets) with each Prynt Case reward on Kickstarter. Want more paper? For every $25 you add to your pledge, we'll send you 50 extra sheets.

Each print-out is more than a photo — it's a video! While you're posing for a photo, our app records a short video and stores it in the cloud. When you hold your phone over the printed image, our app will automatically scan and recognize it, showing your movie on screen in augmented reality.

You can see the videos in your friends' photos, too! Print and pass your photos around for a creative new way to tell your story. It's like a secret message in every photo — embed any kind of surprise you can think of!

The Prynt app is under development and will be released this summer. Our goal is to carry the beauty and simplicity of the case onto the screen of your smartphone for a seamless experience.

In addition to taking a picture, you can select one from your camera roll, Facebook or Instagram. You'll also be able to enhance your photos with frames, filters and personalizations in the app.

To embed a video in a print, use the app to record your movie, then select the frame you want to print:

Order more paper through the app too, and we'll send it right to you! The app can monitor your paper usage and let you know when it's a good time to reorder so you'll never run out! Plus, your shipping and billing info will be stored so reorders are a breeze.

Click and rotate to see it in 3D!

The Prynt Case by Prynt on Sketchfab

We were inspired by classic instant cameras and wanted to recreate the magical experience of sharing physical photos with our loved ones. We were also convinced we could enhance this experience by incorporating our smartphones, which are always with us and help us stay connected.

's video poster PLAY
After developing the alpha prototype, we were the first French startup selected for Haxlr8r, a hardware accelerator program based in Shenzhen, China. We came away from the experience even more dedicated to our original vision of a modern instant camera that would be both portable and beautiful.

Then Prynt was asked to exhibit at the 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Over four days, we took hundreds of selfies, met lots of great people, and were even named by CNN as one of the four best products of CES!

It seemed like the perfect time to come to Kickstarter to get the support needed to finally put Prynt in your pocket! We're so grateful for all your enthusiasm and would love for you to help us make Prynt a reality.